Republican Rep. Can’t Defend Shutting Down Government Over ACA

With thousands of federal workers locked out of their offices, national monuments closed to visitors, children denied treatment for diseases, and veterans unable to get full access to services (the list goes on…), it’s amazing that Republicans are keeping the government shut down over the Affordable Care Act. Some highlights from a CNN interview this morning:

Rep. Todd Rokita (IN-4): “Do you know how much this law is going to cost? It's an insidious law because it's a lie. It says it's going to be affordable.”

Costello: “Do you know how much it costs every day the government is partially shut down? You are costing taxpayers millions and millions of dollars.”

Rokita: “I understand that. And Obamacare is going to cost the children of tomorrow $2 trillion just over the next ten years. So Obamacare hurts this economy, Obamacare hurts this country much more, much more than any government shutdown.”

Costello: “Seriously, the debt feeling fight is coming up - Obamacare hurts the country worse than not raising the debt ceiling?”

Rokita: “Seriously Carol.”

Costello: “Because that's not what a bunch of Wall Street bankers told the President yesterday.”

Rokita: “Well I had a lot of CEOs in my office yesterday and they didn’t shared with me the same vision that apparently some CEOs shared with the President. Because you know the CEOs that were in my offices yesterday were mothers and fathers and grandfathers and grandmothers as well. And every generation, Carol, including ours, to date, has cared more about the future generation than ourselves. And if we don't change our ways, if we don't work together, if we don't get government spending under control so we don't put more on our plate now.”

Costello: “We’re not working together, we’re not remotely working together.”

Rokita: “Well, the one way we don't help the children of tomorrow is by putting $2 trillion more on their plate and that's what Obamacare spends over the next ten years. It's an insidious law, it's a lie. It is not providing more affordable health care. People are losing their health care. People are losing their jobs.”

Costello: “I think most Americans would say fight that fight separate from the federal budget. Don't partially shut down the government, don’t make things worse by fighting the same fight over and over.”

Rokita: “But it is. Carol, we seem to go around in circles.”

Costello: “Right, we're going in circles. Right. That’s what you guys are doing.”

With the economy being damaged every day of the shutdown and millions of Americans receiving benefits from the health care reform, Republicans should end their obsession with the Affordable Care Act and bring the Senate’s clean government funding bill to the Floor so we can end the unnecessary Republican government shutdown.